A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written in a mystical cipher. If the spell is on your class’s spell list, you can read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible. Casting the spell by reading the scroll requires the spell’s normal casting time. Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and it crumbles to dust. If the casting is interrupted, the scroll is not lost.
If the spell is on your class’s spell list but of a higher level than you can normally cast, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other effect.
The level of the spell on the scroll determines the spell’s saving throw DC and attack bonus, as well as the scroll’s rarity, as shown in the Spell Scroll table.
Spell Scroll
Spell Level | Rarity | Save DC | Attack Bonus |
---|---|---|---|
Cantrip | Common | 13 | +5 |
1st | Common | 13 | +5 |
2nd | Uncommon | 13 | +5 |
3rd | Uncommon | 15 | +7 |
4th | Rare | 15 | +7 |
5th | Rare | 17 | +9 |
6th | Very rare | 17 | +9 |
7th | Very rare | 18 | +10 |
8th | Very rare | 18 | +10 |
9th | Legendary | 19 | +11 |
A wizard spell on a spell scroll can be copied just as spells in spellbooks can be copied. When a spell is copied from a spell scroll, the copier must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 10 + the spell's level. If the check succeeds, the spell is successfully copied. Whether the check succeeds or fails, the spell scroll is destroyed.
VARIANT: SCROLL MISHAPS
A creature who tries and fails to cast a spell from a spell scroll must make a DC 10 Intelligence saving throw. If the saving throw fails, roll on the Scroll Mishap table.
Scroll Mishap
d6 Result 1 A surge of magical energy deals the caster 1d6 force damage per level of the spell. 2 The spell affects the caster or an ally (determined randomly) instead of the intended target, or it affects a random target nearby if the caster was the intended target. 3 The spell affects a random location within the spell’s range. 4 The spell’s effect is contrary to its normal one, but neither harmful nor beneficial. For instance, a fireball might produce an area of harmless cold. 5 The caster suffers a minor but bizarre effect related to the spell. Such effects last only as long as the original spell’s duration, or 1d10 minutes for spells that take effect instantaneously. For example, a fireball might cause smoke to billow from the caster’s ears for 1d10 minutes. 6 The spell activates after 1d12 hours. If the caster was the intended target, the spell takes effect normally. If the caster was not the intended target, the spell goes off in the general direction of the intended target, up to the spell’s maximum range, if the target has moved away.
Notes: Utility, Consumable
Home brew idea for scroll copying: Can make check to copy scroll quickly (1d4 hours) but if fail scroll is destroyed, materials used are lost, and spell is not copied. Otherwise can take 1d4 hours per spell level of scroll to auto successfully copy scroll to spellbook. Hours can be broken up into sessions of copying till completion.
How does a player Scribe a scroll to his/her spellbook?
I would make a really complicated rune out of game and have the player copy it irl.
So if, for example, you make a scroll of Identify (like you have in Diablo) and you use the Ritual version, RAW does that mean the scroll would take 10 mins to identify an item? Or CAN you even bind Ritual spells?
For me, I would homebrew scrolls to function more like a spell held in stasis, in that you have already Cast the spell and bound the effect in the scroll and when you read the scroll the effect takes place and consumes the scroll.
If you know the spell via magic initiate, but it's not a part of your class spell list, are you still unable to read it? Asking for the sake of spell storing since magic initiate spells may only be used once per long rest.
Ritual casting isn't a different "version" of the spell, just a method certain classes can use to cast spells which adds 10 minutes to the casting time (saving spell slots or prepared spells). RAW:
So a Spell Scroll of Identify would take the normal casting time of 1 minute.
In example, I have a wizard, and this wizard has yet spent all the spellslots he has but, he still have some scrolls....... so my question is:
Can he use the scrolls ?? Or IF he uses them he could suffer a suffocating effect, or a worser effect ??
Is a scroll has a spell that uses a ability modifier in the effect is it the users or the creators modifier?
Can a warlock use Eyes of the Runekeeper to crap on the rules and cast from whatever list he or she damn well pleases?
Imagine this: A life cleric, whose allies pressure them into taking only healing spells. Then, in the middle of combat, they open a bag and thirty scrolls of Inflict Wounds come tumbling out. Just stockpiling them.
So if you are an arcane trickster, and you use this to cast a level of a spell that is beyond what even a level 20 trickster can cast, can you still do the arcana check, or can you not cast it at all?
For example a trickster casting Dominate Person, which is 5th level. I'm pretty sure a level 20 trickster can't use level 5 and above spells, even though Dominate Person is an enchantment spell in the wizard list, just like all the other trickster spells
How does this work with a 14th level artificer with magic item savant? Do they still need to make the roll? Or is the artificer just able to use the spell scroll regardless?
Magic Item Savant:
At 14th level, your skill with magic items deepens more:
* You can attune up to 5 magic items at once.
* You ignore all class, race, spell, and level requirements on attuning to or using a magic item.
So, since spell scrolls are magic items, does that mean a 14th level artificer can use any spell scroll of any class without having to roll for it?
Could a bard with the ability of Magical Secrets use a spell of any class?
Does anyone know if weapons and or items can be enchanted by a scroll by say an artificer with an infusion? I'm a 2nd lvl artificer who recieved a scroll of magic missile and i was curios if i could infuse it into a wand or sword or ... say a gun? so of that may be a bit game breaking but i am just curious.
I think I'll just homebrew this so that cantrip and T1 spells are okey to cast even if you don't know the spell otherwise.
Anything above will be treated as if it were a higher level spell, but you knew it.
Meaning that if you aren't a spellcaster, ARCANA now makes more sense for you, but it still makes more sense for the wizard to have the scrolls.
Can you cast a spell of your class that is higher level than you could normally cast from a scroll? Like could a 1st level sorcerer use a wish scroll?
Yes, it says above that it requires an ability check (Intelligence for wizards, Wisdom for druids, Charisma for warlocks and sorcerers etc.) equal to DC 10 + the spell's level. So in your example, the sorcerer would have to succeed on a DC 19 Charisma check, and on a fail the spell disappears.
"Blindsided" is such a weird word to use here. If you feel like the game (or worse, your DM) is out to get you, you have the wrong kind of relationship with your DM.
It's kind of a weird choice for a wizard to forgo Arcana proficiency, and making off-beat character choices often has consequences. This is one of them. If you regret your decision, you can use a feat to gain the skill or ask your DM to let you switch proficiencies since you didn't fully understand how important Arcana is. Particularly if you are new to the game, a reasonable DM will be lenient.
I had this same question and was not satisfied with the provided answer (although I agree that it's correct). Here's what I understand after reading, with references:
So from what I read:
I encourage any feedback or different interpretations.
@WizardsOfTheCoast - I think the descriptions in the DMG would benefit from some disambiguation here. For example (bold is mine):
I'm surprised that they still haven't issued an errata that the Arcana check to learn the spell should also apply to Warlocks with a Book of Ancient Secrets.